Find the ideal applicant for your vacant intern, graduate, and entry positions by using these internship interview questions. Additionally, there are some pointers on how to get ready for an internship interview and how to effectively assess your candidates.
Interview techniques for interns
Companies can interact with new graduates through internship programs to satisfy temporary business needs. Once you’ve made the choice to hire an intern, be sure to research the applicable local labour regulations, hours of labour, and remuneration.
On websites like Internships.com and WayUp as well as college career websites, you can post your job adverts. You could also promote your internship positions on your social media pages and networks. Offering five or six-month internships is preferable to one or two-month-long positions so that interns have time to adjust and adapt to completing their new tasks. Make sure you are well familiar with the role criteria and job responsibilities before you create questions for interviewing interns. If necessary, feel free to change the below questions to concentrate on particular abilities and credentials.
Most typical interview questions for internship candidates
- Why did you decide to major in your area of study?
- What benefits do you anticipate from this internship?
- What are your long-term professional objectives, and how do you intend to accomplish them?
- What salary or pay goals do you expect from us?
- Are you currently enrolled in any classes? If so, what is your schedule like and what are some days and times you might be available for this internship?
- What kind of programs/software have you used in the past?
- Tell us about one or two of your college endeavors or projects. How do they apply to this role?
- When you have various assignments due, how do you handle deadlines and pressure?
- Describe a time when you collaborated with others as part of a team. What difficulties did you encounter and what was the result?
- Would you ask your manager for assistance, speak with your coworkers, or try to handle the issue on your own if you were having a problem at work? Why?
- Describe an occasion when a teacher or teammate gave you unfavorable comments or feedback. What was your response?
- Would you ever think about going back to school for further education? What are you interested in learning more about?
Advice for interviewing interns
- Give details about the hiring process. All candidates should have access to information about your hiring process, although junior candidates may require additional assistance. Describe each hiring phase in detail so that they will know what to expect (e.g., who they will meet, what they will discuss, etc.) if they have little or no experience with job interviews.
- Identify dealbreakers early on and establish expectations. Treat interns the same way you would treat applicants for other roles during the hiring process. To find out if applicants meet the standards for your internships, use knockout questions in application forms and phone interviews. For instance:
- Do they have experience with X software?
- Do their expectations for pay match what you’re willing to offer?
- Can they commit to an internship program that lasts X months?
- Do they have X hours available to work? (If your job schedule is set in stone).
- Before the internship interview, give candidates assignments based on their skills. Projects that replicate job responsibilities will aid you in comprehending how interns and young candidates apply their knowledge despite their lack of professional experience. Make sure to give candidates precise instructions and directions in order for them to accurately finish their assignments.
Red flags
When asking the usual interview questions for an internship, keep an eye out for the following red flags:
- Their job aspirations are different from what your organization can offer them. Candidates won’t be engaged in their work if their long-term career ambitions don’t align with your internship. But if they’re qualified and enthusiastic about working for your company, think about giving them an internship in a different division, if one is available, or keep in touch in case you have any future employment openings.
- They are unmotivated. Internships allow college students or recent graduates to obtain work experience and have a set term (often three to six months). But, this duration only applies if they approach their work with seriousness. You might not want to spend time on candidates that see their internship as a chore and look forward to completing it as soon as possible.
- They are not competent or professional. Red flags for all candidates include showing up late for interviews, skipping deadlines, or acting arrogantly. While you shouldn’t be too harsh on interns who have less interview experience, it’s preferable to eliminate applicants who present themselves in an unprofessional manner.
- They don’t match the organizational culture well. Screen for culture fit early in the hiring process if you put up internship programs to get to know potential workers before giving full-time employment. Select, welcome, and train interns who will work for you long-term.
